Did Someone Try to Threaten Colorado Springs TV Station With a Toy Grenade?

KKTV in Colorado Springs didn't have to look far for a story last night. There was one waiting in its parking lot -- specifically what initially looked like an explosive device left in the vicinity of an employee's vehicle. But it turned out to be a lot less incendiary than first suspected.

BREAKING: A suspicious device was found in a parking lot in downtown Colorado Springs in the 500 block of E Colorado Ave near our studio. A KKTV employee found this. As you can see it looks like grenade and that is why the bomb squad has been called out. We will have a live report coming up on 11 News At 10.

Representatives of the Colorado Springs Police Department's bomb squad did indeed rush to the outlet -- and shortly thereafter, the following tweet was offered as an explanation:

As such, the device wasn't dangerous. But the station, which hasn't revealed whose car the toy was near, is taking it seriously, presumably out of fear that someone might be targeting a staffer (and might take things further the next time around). Its report stresses that surveillance footage is being examined with an eye toward identifying who left the grenade in the lot and adds that the person in question could face felony charges.

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Michael Roberts has written for Westword since October 1990, serving stints as music editor and media columnist. He currently covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports and stories that defy categorization.